Roller conveyer



G. H. SPEAH. ROLLER CONVEYER. APPLICATION man Nov.1, 191s.

E205/liar 660234617." )Plea/f Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

,. UNITED srzi'rrssA GERGE E. SPEAK, l' NORTH READING, MASSACHUSETTS.

ROLLER CONVEYER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

Application filed November 1, 1919. Serial No. 334,938.

Taall whomz't may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. SPEAR, a

citizen of the United States, residin at.

North Readin countyof Middlesex, ommonwealth of assachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements l 1 n Roller Conveyers, of which the followlng 1s a specification.

This invention relates to roller-ways of the general type adapted to facilitate the transference of boxes, packages or other bodies.

These ways usually comprise a series of adjacent rollers along which the article may be propelled with a minimum of friction.

To this` end, these ways have been provided with highly refined anti-friction bearings and other devices in the effort not only to permit articles to be Speeded along the way in the shortest possible time but with the least possible effort.

In the rapid handlin of articles along such way, much de en s on the velocity given at the start.

erearticles however are coming in quick succession or where the attendant is otherwise employed, it is frequently difficult to give the proper initial start, and furthermore under certain circumstances, it is not advisable to start articles too rapidly in View of their liability to overtake and collide with those preceding.

In my present invention, I have contemplated adconve er-way in which lby special roller system am able to convey articles witha minimum initial impulse and at the same time secure a high degree of uniformity in their travel along the way. It will be readily seen that this not only saves labor instarting the article but by the diminution of the initial velocity and the maintenance of uniformity in course of travel, I avoid to a very considerable degree liability of 1jamming and collision along the way. v am thus ableto maintain a uniform standard transference at a maximum standard rate. l

As illustrative of my invention I have shown in the? accompanying drawings a form of way which I find highly efficient under the variety of working conditions.

Throughout the specification ,a and drawings like reference characters'are employed to indicate corresponding parts, and in the drawings:

Figure I is a side elevation of a chutevway,

Fig. II a transverse section showmg a roll in. elevation.

. and also in the diagrams l The member 3 is further eccentrically chamlmember 3 in its eccentriclt 5 and preferably slightly eyond center, in

Fig. III a longitudinal sectional detail of such roll,

FigIV a transverse sectional detail, and` Fig-Vwand FigjVI diagrammatic representations illustrating the principles in- Volved.

I have indicated at l a plurality of rollers mounted in channelways 9 on a base 10. Each roller is mounted on a' shaft 5 having a shouldered and projected end 'bearing 51 which finds bearin in the lateral `flanges 9. Within the roller-s ell 1 I mount a bearingbushing 2, interlocked at 11 in shell 1. The b earing 3 channeled with a race-way to contain the ball 6 and coperating with the inner face of the bushing 2, is carried on the reduced end v51 of the shaft 5. The l bearing of the member. 3 on the shaft 51 is eccentric-as appears in Fi s. III and IV', igs.' V and VI.

beredasindicated at 31 and within this on the shaft 5 is a'concentric bearing member 4, having a race-way formed on its face and.cooperating with the inner portion of the chamber 31 to receive balls 7. l

At the lower portion of the member 3 is a cross-rod 8 cooperating' with the rcorresponding members in the opposite ends of the shaft. The cross-rod 8 also constitutes a counter-weight tendin the direction in wh1ch`the article A is to travel. y

When such an article vAlas a box, package Y or the lik'efis-placed upon the rolls and given the slighest initial start, thosel rolls disposed beneath the bod have a tendency to turn in'the direction 1n which the body is intended to'move. This tends to Cause the article to advance slightly. In such movement its forward end is slightly elevated and its rear end slightly depressed, as the following rolls turn with their eccentricity appreciable weig t in such a manner as to 110- to maintain the above the shaft ioo below center. The effect of this isthe susdisturb the stability ofthe roller eccentricity provides an initial movement which is sustained along a very considerable length or' the roller-way.

Various modifications may obviously be made in the detail structure of the rollers. the refinement of bearings and the like. ail without departing from the spirit of my inventionif within the limits of the appended claims.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A conveyer way comprising a plurality of eccentrically mounted rollers, and gravity means for normally maintaining said rollers eccentrically above center.

` their 2. A conveyer way comprising a plurality of eccentrically mounted rollers. and gravity means for normally maintaining said rollers with their eccentricity above major axes past the vertical center in the direction of desired movement.

conveyer Way comprising a plurality of eccentrically mounted rollers. and gravity mea'ns for normally maintaining said rollers with their major axes of eccentricity above their axes of rotation in the direction of desired movement.

4. In a device of the class described. a plurality of eccentric rollers each comprising an outer shell, an outwardly concentric hearing disposed therein, said bearing having an inwardly eccentric bearing, and a shaft within said inwardly eccentric bearing, `md a counterweight on said bearing ineinber disposed to maintain it with its eccentricity above center.

5. ln a device of the class described, a plurality of eccentric rollers each comprising an outer shell. an outwardly concentric `nearing disposed therein and having an antit'riction bearing therewith, said bearing `iavin an inwardly eccentric bearing, and a sha t within said inwardly eccentric bearing and having an antifi'iction bearing therewith. and a counterweight on said bearing nember disposed to maintain it with its eccentricity above center.

In a device of the class described, a plurality of eccentric rollers each comprising an outer shell. an eccentric bearing disnosed therein. a shaft within said inwardly ccentric bearing, said shell being poised so as to remain with its eccentricity above `tenter.

in testimony whereof I afiix my signature 1n presence of two witnesses.

lEORGE H. SPEAR. Witnesses *erom LownEN, .JIARION F. WEISS. 

